Happily Ever After
by GreenOceans
Summary: Shayera reflects on damage that can't be undone.


**Happily Ever After**

By: Dreamcatcher89

Rating: PG-13 (just to be on the safe side folks)

Spoilers: "Hunter's Moon"

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She once again awoke with a start. Her head throbbing, joints aching, and heart pounding. She saw him again, in her dreams, she saw the man she had betrayed, and ultimately killed.

Of course she didn't actually kill him in the physical sense, she wasn't that cruel. At least that's what she kept telling herself. But still, the guilt of his death remained. His face continued to haunt her dreams.

Each time it was the same horrible nightmare. He saw off his crew before he went on his suicide mission. He guided the ship faster and faster until he was within mere feet before the Gordainian fleet. With one final battle cry, he plunges forward, meeting death head on and taking as many of those monstrous bastards with him as he could.

That would be enough to keep her up at night, but what absolutely chilled her down to her hollow bones, was the name he called out before his untimely demise. "Shayera!"

With his final word she then envisioned millions of Thanagarians dying, her people crying, and their pleas going unheard. The masses cursing her name with their final breathes as well.

The promise she made and broke with him, like the promise she made and broke with their people would forever haunt her until the day she died.

She could feel the tears building up, but still she tried to hold them at bay. It was her own fault that her people were now a dying breed. The once powerful Thanagarian Empire was now nothing more then a memorable legacy. She had no right to mourn for her people, it was her own fault they were like this now and she knew it. Crying like a child would be an un-honorable act.

Even though she had no honor left to speak of.

Shayera had never intended for any of this to happen, but it was the sacrifice she made when she saved earth. She condemned her people to a fate of oblivion so she could save an alien race that would forever curse her name with the same animosity as her own people.

Did she even have the right to call the Thanagarians _her_ people? That question would continue to plague her mind for years to come.

_I didn't mean for any of this to happen._

But it happened none the less.

_I'm not the villain._

But millions still suffered and died.

_I love Thanagar, and I love Earth._

But both had been betrayed.

_I had good intentions in mind with every choice I made._

But wasn't the road to hell paved with good intentions.

Each time that hopeful part of her tried to justify what she did, she always lost to the guilt, to the truth of the matter. And then her little piece of hope would fade away.

She knew she would never gain redemption for the heinous crime she had committed. How could she pay for all the lies and the deceit? That was another question that would remain with her for the rest of her short life.

Who was she fooling, playing a hero.

Hawkgirl never even existed.

But still she would pull one leg out of bed, followed by the other. She would stand and find her balance. There was a conference in half an hour and she would go and make a comment or two. She had a mission in two hours, and she would go and fight until the bad guys were beat. She would keep on living, but still she wasn't really sure why.

Once she was in uniform, she walked down the halls and was greeted by her co-workers. Some friendly, and others not so much.

When she would reach the conference room, she would place herself in the nearest seat between J'onn and Diana. It wasn't Kindergarten; they didn't have to sit an assigned seating chart to follow. She would then glance across the table to see John smile at her, and she would briefly smile back.

For split second she would feel those once foreign emotions of contentment and happiness.

But her thoughts were shattered by an ominous voice. She wasn't sure where the words came from but they were there, floating around the room.

"Luthor is now President and Wally is dead."

John's smile vanished, as did Shayera's brief fairytale insinuations of hope.

THE END

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A/N: Well here you go. I'm no literary genius so I'm sure there are mistakes. I always appreciate your reviews so you all can tell me what I did wrong or right, if you liked it or think I should die for writing such crap, etc. Now it's time for me to go to sleep because I'm only inspired to write at like 4:00 am, so ummm………

Peace out and rock on!


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